Nintendo Switch Online Seems to Be Ending 2024 with a Bang

2024 has been a great year for gaming, and that includes subscription services like Nintendo Switch Online. Although Nintendo’s leading games-on-demand service isn’t perfect, and many lament that it’s the only way to play many Nintendo classics on modern hardware, it has nevertheless provided convenient and valuable gaming experiences for those looking to dig into the company’s rich portfolio.

Like its competitors on Xbox and PlayStation, Nintendo Switch Online is regularly updated with new games, though unlike these other leading services, NSO is focused exclusively on older games from platforms like the Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64; NSO’s on-demand services give players easy access to many retro titles through emulation. For better or worse, these services seem to be the best way to enjoy older titles on the Switch, and it’s suddenly gotten even more robust.

Nintendo Switch Online Just Got a Payload of Great Classic Games

Banjo-Tooie

About a week ago, Banjo-Tooie made its way to Nintendo Switch Online—a bittersweet addition for those still mourning the loss of the once-iconic platforming franchise. Banjo-Tooie joins its predecessor Banjo Kazooie on the service, allowing players to dive head-first into Rare’s gone, but not forgotten, series.

Banjo-Tooie is a 3D platformer not too different from the likes of Super Mario 64, where players are tasked with traveling to different environs and collecting a variety of collectibles. But it also stands out as a particularly charming and inventive game, even by today’s standards, shining bright through its simple but satisfying locomotion, colorful cast of characters, incredible soundtrack, and unique gameplay gimmicks, including a multiplayer mode. With its arrival on NSO, players can now enjoy the Banjo Kazooie platforming duology in its entirety, greatly enhancing the service’s value.

Shadow Man

Banjo-Tooie‘s addition to NSO was a pleasant enough surprise, but it was followed by the announcement that it would be joined by the cult classic Shadow Man just a few days later. Although many consider it to be among the best N64 games, Shadow Man does not share the colorful or bubbly characteristics of the likes of Banjo-Kazooie, adhering to a decidedly more dark and disturbing story.

Based upon the comic series of the same name, Shadow Man follows Michael LeRoi, a Louisianan who has taken up the mantle of Shadow Man, a title granting him the power to shift between the worlds of the living and the dead, along with a selection of other unique abilities. The game is steeped in voodoo mythology and lore, dripping with the edginess of late-1990s young adult entertainment. For those looking for a classic action-adventure game with effective horror elements, Shadow Man is a great choice.

Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Nintendo Switch Online has also added Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, a delightfully strange FPS in the vein of seminal releases like DOOM and Goldeneye. The game’s bizarre premise sees players using alien technology to take down rabid creatures controlled by the Primagen, a centuries-old creature trapped in a wrecked spacecraft. The game isn’t a total revolution from the first Turok, but it’s generally seen as an improvement, with better visuals and performance, and a more fleshed-out campaign mode.

Whatever opinion one may have about Nintendo Switch Online’s pricing, gatekeeping of specific games, or curious omission of hit franchises like Pokemon, it’s hard to deny that it’s built a formidable library of classic games. With these new, in-demand N64 titles coming to the platform, it’s clear that Nintendo is doubling down on what the service has to offer, closing out 2024 with a memorable spate of retro releases.